NEWARK, NJ, June 20, 2001 -- NJ TRANSIT will revise some of its bus routes beginning Saturday, June 23, 2001 (or Saturday, June 30 where noted) in response to changing travel patterns and customer suggestions. The agency regularly reviews and revises bus routes to enhance service.

Passengers are encouraged to pick up new timetables in major terminals and on buses for specific information about the routes they use.

Following are the major adjustments to NJ TRANSIT's bus service:

BERGEN, HUDSON, AND PASSAIC COUNTIES

The No. 40 Kearny-Port Newark-Port Elizabeth route will have four weekday daily trips extended to serve to Northern State Prison. In addition the weekday schedule has been completely revised. These changes will be effective June 30, 2001.

The No. 64 Lakewood-Jersey City-Weehawken route will be reducing the number of weekday evening peak hour trips via the Freehold Center in response to customer requests. The route will now run three trips out of the Freehold Mall on Route 9.

The No. 111 Jersey Gardens-IKEA-New York route serving Union city, will add three round trips on the Saturday Schedule as well as additional Sunday trips to meet growing demand. There will also be adjustments to existing trips times on weekdays and Sundays.

The No. 124 Harmon Cove-New York route will be reducing one morning trip to Secaucus and one evening trip to New York, due to the withdrawal of the financial support made by a private company that funded these two buses.

The No. 126 Hoboken-New York route will be increasing evening service between 7:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. to accommodate an increase in ridership.

The No. 129 Secaucus-New York route will add an 8:45 morning trip from New York to Secaucus due to customer requests.

The No. 158 Fort Lee- Edgewater-New York route will add one round trip between 11:30 p.m. and 12:30 p.m. on weekdays. The evening peak bus schedule has also been revised to improve operational performance on the line. Weekday origin points on selected trips have also been moved from Lincoln Harbor to further north in Edgewater, between 3:00 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. Hourly service will be added to the Saturday and Sunday schedule between 8:30 p.m. and 12:30 a.m. in both directions.

The No. 163 Ridgewood-New York route will add one evening local trip from New York to Paramus. Also for the summer season, three express buses from New York to Ridgewood will be added at 2:30 p.m., 3:15 p.m. and 3:50 p.m.

The No. 164 Midland Park-New York route will add a 2:40 p.m. and 4:15 p.m. local trips from New York to Paramus-Arcola via the Meadowlands to accommodate increased ridership. For the summer season 12:50 p.m. and 1:50 p.m. Hackensack Express trips and a 3:30 p.m. Saddle River Road via Broadway express trip will be added from New York to Midland Park.

The No. 165 Westwood-New York route will add one weekday inbound local trip from Westwood at 4:45 p.m. On Sundays, service will increase in both directions from every 30 minutes to every 20 minutes, between 9:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m.

The No. 166 Dumont-Tenafly-New York route has added a 2:40 p.m. and 3:20 p.m. Turnpike Express trips from New York to Bergenfield for the summer season. The Sunday schedule will increase the frequency of service in both directions from every 30 minutes to every 20 minutes between 8:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. to alleviate crowding on the lower portions of the line.

The No. 167 Harrington Park-New York route will implement new door assignments at the Port Authority Bus Terminal for both the Armory Express and the Teaneck Express. The Amory express will be leaving from Gate 210, Door 1. The Teaneck express will be leaving from Gate 210, Door 1. There will also be four new evening peak Express/Local weekday trips to accommodate passenger demand.

The No. 168 Paramus-New York route will add a 3:10 p.m. Turnpike Express trip from /New York to Paramus.

The No. 188 River Road- New York route will reroute all service to operate via Port Imperial Ferry Terminal, Pershing Road and Boulevard East between 60th/ Boulevard East and River Road and Hillside Road in West New York.

The No. 190 Paterson-New York route will reroute two daily morning local trips between 7:00 a.m. and 8:00 a.m. and two evening local trips between 4:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. via the Delawanna section of Clifton.

The No. 192 Clifton-New York route will add 3:10 p.m., 3:40 p.m. and 4:15 p.m. Clifton-Allwood Express trips from New York for the summer season.

The No. 193 Pompton Lakes-Packanack Lake-Willowbrook-New York route will add three morning peak trips between 5:00 a.m. and 7:30 a.m. to avoid overcrowding. During the summer, 1:30 p.m., 2:10 p.m., 2:30 p.m., 3:10 p.m., 3:45 p.m. and 4:10 p.m. trips from New York will be added. The No. 193 will also transfer trips to the 197 line for the summer to accommodate the increase in passenger levels between Pompton Lakes, Wayne, Willowbrook and New York.

The No. 320 North Bergen Park/Ride-New York route will increase service in order to alleviate crowding. One round trip will be added between 8:00 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. from the Park/Ride to New York and three early evening trips from PABT to the Park/Ride between 1:20 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. There will also be two late evening trips from PABT to the Park/Ride and Harmon Meadow between 7:50 p.m. and 10:00 p.m. Two morning peak trips will now start out of Mill Creek instead of the Park/Ride.

The No. 704 Paterson-Willowbrook Mall route will extend evening service until 9:40 p.m. instead of 7:30 p.m. in both directions.

The No. 705 Passaic- Willowbrook Mall route will extend evening service until 9:45 p.m. in both directions.

Minor summer adjustments are being made on the No. 80 Newark Avenue, No.81 Greenville, and No. 87 King Drive. Passengers should check their timetables closely for schedule changes.

ESSEX COUNTY

The No. 40 Kearny-Port Newark-Port Elizabeth route will have four weekday daily trips extended to serve to Northern State Prison. In addition the weekday schedule has been completely revised. These changes will be effective June 30, 2001.

The No. 64 Lakewood-Jersey City-Weehawken route will be reducing the number of weekday evening peak hour trips via the Freehold Center in response to consumer requests. The route will now run three trips out of the Freehold Mall on Route 9.

The No. 67 Toms River-Lakewood-Newark route will restore expanded summer service. NJ TRANSIT will reduce the number of roundtrips headed for Seaside Heights/Seaside Park from two to one, in response to low ridership.

The No. 137 Toms River-New York route will also restore summer service and decrease the number of roundtrips headed for Seaside Heights/Seaside Park from two to one. Selected peak trips will be extended to begin and end at Seaside Park and will operate to Island Beach State Park upon request. Sunday trips from Atlantic City will be doubled to alleviate crowding.

The M23 Red Bank-Freehold route has been revised to include a direct service to Luftman Towers in Lincroft as in response to customer requests.

Minor adjustments are also planned for the No. 139 Lakewood-New York route. Passengers should check their timetables closely for schedule changes.

ATLANTIC AND CAPE MAY COUNTIES

The No. 316 Philadelphia-Wildwood-Cape May route will restore summer service and include additional southbound trips on Fridays and northbound trips on Sundays. Due to a recent detour there will be no service to Strathmere and Wildwood Crest. All trips will operate via Greyhound Terminal and Broad/Snyder in South Philadelphia with limited service to Camden.

The No. 509 Atlantic City-Somers Point-Ocean City route will offer two additional daily evening roundtrips at 8:05 p.m. and 9:05 p.m. from Somers Point, and at 7:10 p.m. and 8:10 p.m. from Atlantic City.

Minor adjustments are planned for the No. 319 New York-Atlantic City-Cape May. Passengers should check their timetables closely for schedule changes.

MERCER, CAMDEN, BURLINGTON, GLOUCESTER, CUMBERLAND AND SALEM COUNTIES

The No. 317 Philadelphia-Asbury Park route will have new timetable showing the connection to the Ocean Countys Brick Link route. The route will also be handicapped accessible; customers will no longer need to make reservations in advance.

The No. 409 Trenton-Willingboro-Philadelphia route will be made handicapped accessible; customers will no longer need to make reservations in advance.

The No. 452 Camden-Aquarium-Pennsauken route will extend daily service until midnight, every 30 minutes weekdays and hourly on Saturdays and Sundays, in order to serve Tweeter Center, Campbells Field baseball stadium and Camden neighborhoods.

The No. 459 Echelon Mall-Avandale route will eliminate the Camden County Vocational Technical School service due to the summer session. It will extend Saturday service to Winslow Plaza increasing service from every one and one-half hours to every 75 minutes.

The No. 553 Upper Deerfield-Atlantic City route will add three morning peak and three evening peak trips to the Cumberland Family Shelter to provide access for clients and employees.

The No. 609 Ewing-Quaker Bridge Mall-Mercer County College route will extend the 5:25 a.m. trip from Trenton Station will be changed to 5:20 a.m. and be extended beyond the Library for the Blind to the New Jersey Department of Transportation. The return trip to Trenton will now depart from NJDOT at 5:47 a.m.

Passengers should check their timetables closely for schedule changes.

UNION COUNTY

The No. 40 Kearny-Port Newark-Port Elizabeth route will have four weekday daily trips extended to serve to Northern State Prison. In addition the weekday schedule has been completely revised. These changes will be effective June 30, 2001.

The No. 113 Dunellen-New York route will have a revised weekday morning express schedule.

The No. 116 Perth Amboy-New York route will add one morning and one evening trip during the peak time to accommodate increased ridership.

The No. 111 Jersey Gardens-IKEA-New York route serving Union City, will add three round trips on the Saturday Schedule as well as additional Sunday trips to meet growing demand. There will also be adjustments to existing trips times on weekdays and Sundays.

Minor summer adjustments are being made on the No.112 Clark-New York route. Passengers should check their timetables closely for schedule changes.

For further information, riders in North Jersey can call NJ TRANSIT between 6 a.m. and midnight at 1-800-772-2222 or at 201-762-5100 from out of state. For South Jersey information, riders can call NJ TRANSIT between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. at 1-800-582-5946 or at 215-569-3752 from Pennsylvania. For persons with hearing impairments, the number is 1-800-772-2287.